USA > Nebraska > History of Nebraska > Part 9
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The afternoon of the 10th of May, after the reception of the
.
119
JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
news that the last spike had been driven, was devoted to pro- cessions, street parades, speech making and a general hour of rejoicing. Even the shades of evening did not check the enthusiasm, for as the twilight deepened into darkness, the city was most brilliantly illuminated, while the liberal display of pyro- technics lent the scene a beauty and grandeur never before witnessed in the West.
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UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD BRIDGE.
The iron bridge spanning the Missouri River at Omaha was not commenced until the early part of 1869, or about the time the Union Pacific road was completed, although an Act had been passed by Congress in 1866, authorizing the work at or near Omaha. When the question was finally taken under consid- eration, a division of opinion arose as to the most advantageous point of crossing the river. A majority of the Company favored a crossing at "Child's Mill," some four miles below Omalıa. Here was a new danger to the interests of the city, to ward off which, and secure the bridge, a second quarter of a million dollars was donated towards its construction by the city. This last donation was made in consideration that the main transfer depots, machine shops and general offices of the Company should be located at Omaha.
In September, 1868, the Boomer Bridge Company, of Chicago, secured the contract of building the bridge for $1,089,500, the time of its completion to be November 10th 1869. They were
120
JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
greatly delayed in the work, however, and did not get the first cylinder ready for sinking until March, 1869; and in July of that year their contract with the U. P. Company was annulled, the Jatter Company taking hold of the work and completing the bridge on the 25th of March, 1873.
The bridge is composed entirely of iron, and is two thousand seven hundred and fifty feet in length, fifty feet above high water mark, and consists of eleven spans of two hundred and fifty feet each. The superstructure is supported by one stone masonry abutment and eleven piers, each pier being formed of two iron prenmatic tubes, eight feet six inches in diameter, and sunk in sections of ten feet each to the solid rock in the bed of the river, then filled with stone and cement. The least time in which a column was sunk to bed rock from the commencement of the pro- cess was seven days. The greatest depth below low water mark reached by any column at bed rock was eighty-two feet. About five hundred men were constantly employed in the construction of the bridge, and ten steam engines were used in hoisting material, driving piles, etc. The bridge is approached from the Iowa side by a grade about one and a half miles long, thirty-five feet rise to the mile, and on the Nebraska side there is a trestle work, now filled in with earth, about fifty feet in height and seven hundred feet long. The Company claims that the bridge cost $2,500,000.
At an early hour on the morning of August 25th, 1877, two spans at the eastern terminus of this great bridge were carried away by a tornado and entirely destroyed. As the tornado struck the bridge it lifted the massive superstructure from the piers, strewing the span which had rested on the Iowa shore along the embankment, while the other was carried into the deep water of the river. The piers were uninjured. A temporary Howe truss bridge was erected immediately after the catastrophe, and before the close of 1877 the iron spans were replaced.
The Union Pacific Railroad, in 1879, owned and operated the following lines:
Union Pacific, main line, from Omaha to Ogden .... 1033 miles. Omaha & Republican Valley road, from Valley to
Osceola 85
121
JOHNSON'S IIISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
Utah Northern. from Ogden to Beaver Canon. .. 274 miles. Colorado Division, from Cheyenne to Denver. 138 . . Colorado Division Narrow Guage, from Golden to Central City 23
Colorado Division Narrow Gauge, from Forks of Clear Creek to Georgetown. 24
St. Joseph & Denver City, from St. Josephi to Grand Island. 292
1869
Their contemplated lines include the following:
Jackson to Norfolk (now building). 47 miles.
Jackson to Osceola 18
Jackson to Albion.
45
66
Grand Island to St. Paul.
22
Valparaiso, Neb., to Marysville, Kansas.
100 66
Total 232 Grand Total 2101
THE OMANIA & REPUBLICAN VALLEY RAILWAY,
A branch of the Union Pacific, extending from Valley Station, on the Union Pacific, to Osceola, the County Seat of Polk County, eighty-five miles, was commenced in 1876 and completed to its present terminal point in 1879. It traverses Saunders, Butler and Polk Counties, Wahoo, David City and Osceola being the chief towns on its line. It enters Saunders County at the northeast corner and leaves it at or near the extreme southwest corner, from whence it bends quite abruptly to the north until David City is reached, when it again turns to the southwest to Osceola, describing in its course the letter S. It is a most important transportation route for that section of the State, and when completed further np the Republican Valley it will assume still greater importance.
THE UTAH & NORTHERN
Is another branch of the Union Pacific road. This branch has a three feet gauge, extends from Ogden to Beaver Cannon, Idaho, 274 miles, and is being pushed rapidly northward. Its objective ter- minal point to the north is Helena, Montana. Although travers- ing a thinly populated portion of the West, its net earnings dur- ing the past three or four years has been from $60,000 to $220,000.
THE COLORADO DIVISION, (Commonly known as the Colorado Central Railway), another limb
122
JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
of the mammoth Union Pacific body, extends from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Denver, Colorado, a distance of 138 miles. This is a most important transportation route to the mineral portions of the country to the south and west, and is as profitable in a finan- cial aspect as it is convenient to travel and commerce.
The Narrow Gange, from Golden to Central City, a distance of twenty three miles, also the Narrow Gauge from the forks of Clear Creek to Georgetown, twenty-four miles, are also branches of the Union Pacific. This is the most direct route to Leadville, and for the past six months its traffie in both travel and freight has- been very large.
THE ST. JOSEPH & DENVER CITY RAILWAY,
Extending from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Grand Island, Nebraska, came under the control of the Union Pacific in the Spring of 1879, and is now their prominent outlet to St. Louis, and other points to the southeast.
The St. Joseph and Denver road was chartered by the legis- lature of Kansas, February 17th, 1857, by the title of the Marys- ville, Palmetto & Roseport Railroad Company, with authority to build a line from either of the above named places to a con- neetion with the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad, at or near Roseport. The corporate name was changed to St. Joseph & Denver City Railroad, April 17th, 1862. The authority to build a road from the Nebraska State line to Fort Kearney was obtained under the general law of Nebraska, on the 11th of Angust, 1866. The Northern Kansas Railroad Company was consolidated with this Company, and the right to lands granted by Act of Coil- gress, July 23d, 1866, of one million, seven hundred thousand acres, was thereby obtained. The capital stock was also increased to. $10,000,000. Subscriptions from municipal corporations to the amount of $1,025,000, and from individuals to the extent of $1,400 were secured in aid of building the road. On these subscriptions work was commenced, and eighty miles of the line was completed and in operation in October, 1870, at a cost of about $1,500,000. In 1871 the line was extended forty-eight miles, and on the following year it was completed to Hastings, its western terminus, when it passed into the hands of the Union Pacific, who extended it to Grand Island on their line of road during the summer of 1879. The total
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JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
cost of the line from St. Joseph to Hastings, was $5,449,620.77, of which stockholders paid $1,400; $782,727.10 from State and muni- cipal aid, and the remainder $4,665,493.67 from the proceeds of mortgage bonds. In 1874 the road passed into the hands of a. Receiver, who operated it until the 29th of March, 1877, when it was re-organized under its present title. While in the hands of the Receiver the road was sold under foreclosure, and that portion in Kansas was re-organized under the name of the St. Joseph & Pacific, and that part in Nebraska, as the Kansas & Nebraska Railroad.
The gross earnings, operating expenses and net earnings of the U. P. road, per mile, for the years named, were:
YEAR.
GROSS EARNINGS.
OPERATING EXPENSES.
NET EARNINGS.
PROPORTION OF EXPENSES.
1870
$ 736,386
$ 451,706
$ 284,680
61.34 per et.
1871
726,381
344,713
378,668
48.87
1872
858,774
463,599
395,175
53.98
1873
991,415
480,353
511,062
48.46
66.
1874
1,019,785
468,827
509,580
45.97
66
1875
1,158,264
481,225
677,139
41.54
..
1876
1,244,506
508,760
735,746
40.88
66
The net earnings more than doubled during the first six years that the line was operated, and nearly doubled during the past. six years.
Statement of operations, yearly, for seven years :
YEAR.
TOTAL GROSS EARNINGS.
OPERATING EXPENSES.
NET EARNINGS.
1870
$ 7,625,277.11
$ 4,667,414.84
$ 2,947,862.27
1871
7,521,682.16
3,600,566.86
3,921,115.30
1872
8,892,605.53
4,800,573.48
4,092,032.05
1873
10,266,103.66
4,974,861.02
5,291,242.64
1874
10,559,880.12
4,854,703.87
5,705,176.25
1875
11,993,832.09
4,982,047.95
7,011,784.14
1876
12,886,858.84
5,268,211.20
7,618,211.29
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JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
The following is a comparative statement of passenger and freight earnings, including Omaha bridge:
1877. 1878. Increase. Decrease.
Passenger earnings. . . $3,672,173.47 $3,190,369.72
$492,100.52
Freight earnings ...... 7,995,813.00 8,500,955.76 $572,935.94 ....
The equipment of the road in 1879 was as follows:
Locomotives, 172; snow plows, 17; passenger coaches, first class, 15; second class, 19; emigrant, 63; sleepers, 27; mail, 9; ex- press, 9; baggage, 11; dinky-baggage, 12; officers' cars, 2; pay car, 1.
Freight-Box cars, 1,548; flat cars, 164; coal cars, permanent, 287; coal cars, temporary, 593; coal hoppers, 394; coal. dumpers, 20; charcoal, 45; way cars, 11; hay cars, 96; water cars, 15; outfit cars, 10; ferry cars, 5; derrick, 4; derrick caboose, 4; oil tank, tubular, 1. Total passenger and freight equipment, 3,384.
(UNION PACIFIC
WESTERRENER.CO.
UNION PACIFIC TRANSFER DEPOT.
In accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court, as before me :tioned, the Company have located their transfer depot at Dillonville, on the Iowa side, about midway between Council Bluffs and the river.
125
JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
THE BURLINGTON & MISSOURI RIVER RAILROAD,
The main line of which extends from the City of Plattsmouth, on the Missouri River, to Kearney Junction, where connections are made with the Union Pacific, a distance of 190 miles. This Company was organized under a liberal charter in 1869, with a capital stock of $7,500,000, which was divided into 75,000 shares, funded debt, first mortgage eight per cent. convertable bonds, dated July 1st, 1869, with semi-annual interest payable in January and July, and principal payable July 1st, 1894. On the 1st of May, 1871, the capital stock of the Company was increased to $12,000,- 000.
The Company received a land grant from the Government amounting to 2,382,208 acres, also a grant from the State of Nebraska of 50,000 acres, and when they took possession of the Omaha & Southwestern road they acquired the land grant made to that line by the State, to the extent of 100,010 acres. It may be proper to state here that the Omaha & Southwestern road, although chartered from Omaha to Lincoln, was only built to the Platte River where it formed a junction with the B. & M. road, over which it secured track service into Lincoln until its transfer by lease to the latter line.
On the 1st of August, 1879, the Company owned and operated in the State of Nebraska 443 miles, as follows: from Platts- mouth, via Lincoln, to Kearney Junction, 190 miles, where con- nections are made with the Union Pacific road; from Plattsmouth to Omaha, twenty one miles, where connections are made with the U. P., O. &. N. W., C. & N. W. and Chicago Rock Island & Pacific roads. In brief, at Omaha connections are made with lines radiating east, west, and north. From Lincoln to York, fifty-five miles; from Lincoln to Brownville, on the Missouri, sixty-five miles; from Crete to Beatrice, thirty miles; from Hastings to Bloomington, sixty-nine miles. The lines above mentioned traverse the following Counties, making connections with other lines at the points named: Douglas, Sarpy, Cass, Otoe, Nemaha, Lancaster, Seward, York, Saline, Fillmore, Clay, Adams, Kearney, Buffalo, Webster, Franklin, and Gage; while their projected lines, some of which are under construction, traverse Hamilton, Hall, Merrick, Jefferson, Thayer, Nuckolls, Harlan, Furnas, Red Willow, Hitch-
126
JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
cock, Dundy and Johnson Counties. The projected lines are as follows: From York to Aurora, in Hamilton County, twenty miles; from Aurora to Hastings twenty-two miles; from Aurora to Grand Island, sixteen miles; from Aurora to Central City, sixteen miles; from Beatrice to Red Cloud, 100 miles; from Bloomington to State Line, west, 150 miles; from Beatrice to Nemaha, sixty five miles. These lines completed, the B. &. M. will operate 832 miles of road in the State; roads that traverse and open up to vigorous commerce much of the richest and most beautiful and inviting portion of Nebraska. Nearly every mile of their line from Plattsmouth to Kearney Junction, passes through one of the rich- est farming countries to be found in the West.
In brief, the B. & M. lines occupy the garden, as it were, of the Platte and Republican Valleys. This corporation has adopted and pursued from the date of its organization, a most liberal and com- prehensive policy towards the country through which its lines of road are constructed. To a much larger extent than is usual in railway corporations, it has exhibited a disposition to make its interests and that of the country through which it passed, identical. In fact, the history and development of the Burlington & Mis- souri River road is most intimately interwoven with the develop- ment and prosperity of the great South Platte country; and the writer only echoes the popular voice, when he makes the statement that every movement of this corporation has tended directly towards the material advancement of that beautiful portion of the State occupied by its lines, which has made it one of the most prosperous as well as popular roads in the west.
Their lines are well and safely built; their bridges and culverts are constructed upon the most approved system; their rolling stock is ample, and their passenger equipment combines all of the more modern improvements for the speed, comfort and safety of pas- sengers.
The equipment of the B. & M. road in 1879 consisted in part of the following rolling stock: Sixteen locomotives, twelve passen- ger coaches, seven baggage and express cars, one hundred and fifty box cars, eighty-six platform cars, and forty-three coal cars; total two hundred and ninety-eight.
The Company's general office is at Omaha, where they own a
127
JOIINSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
fine new brick building, and give employment to a large number of persons. Their machine shops are at Plattsmouth, in which they employ some three hundred men. At Plattsmouth this line connects with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy road.
The following is a statement of articles forwarded from, and received at stations on the Burlington & Missouri River Railway, in the South Platte country, for five years, ending December 31st, 1878:
WEIGHT IN POUNDS OF ARTICLES FORWARDED.
YEAR.
MERCIAN- DISE.
MILL PRODUCTS.
GRAIN.
LIVE STOCK.
STONE AND BRICK.
1874
5,446,340
3,628,186
94,204,000
10,820,000
2,208,000
1875
4,098,439
4,915,287
122,872,000
6,059,500
2,304,000
1876
6,248,104
8,296,986
208,732,000
16,455,100
384,000
1877
17,104,996
11,317,170
273,621,000
28,980,000
9,264,000
1878
22,385,693
8,447,250
422,746,000
56,647,500
S,S32,000
WEIGHT IN POUNDS OF ARTICLES RECEIVED.
YEAR.
MERCIIAN- DISE.
EMIGRANT MOVABLES.
LUMBER.
COAL.
STONE AND BRICK.
1874
30,921,541
6,480,000
47,736,000
11,928,000
2,784,000
1875
31,875,754
4,600,000
38,040,000
24,000,000
2,472,000
1876
34,069,915
6,680,000
41,088,000
27,096,000
4,992,000
1877
51,277,825
6,380,000
90,363,000
46,080,000
6,288,000
1878
S2,323,429
19,020,000
102,074,000
44,294,000
10,320,000
THE BURLINGTON & MISSOURI RIVER RAILWAY BRIDGE AT PLATTSMOUTH.
The construction of the above mentioned bridge, spanning the Missouri River at Plattsmouth, was commenced in 1879, under the supervision of Geo. S. Morrison, Chief Engineer of that Company.
1
128
JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
The channel of the river, at the point where the bridge crosses it, is only 344 feet, a narrowness that was secured by many years of rip- rapping, by the Railroad Company, who have constructed formida. ble piers and dikes of stone, on the Iowa side, in order to turn the channel permanently in the direction of the rocky bluffs on the Nebraska shore. These improvements, although attended by an enormous outlay of money, has so securely hemmed in the channel as to make the enterprise of bridging the stream an easy and com- paratively cheap undertaking.
The bridge is constructed of steel spans, of three hundred feet in length each. These spans are supported in the center and at the ends, by piers of great solidity, constructed of stone and iron. The substructure of these piers is the bed rock, which at that point is reached at fifty feet below low water mark. This work will be effected by compressed air, the machinery for which was procured at a large cost. The pier on the Nebraska shore, however, rests on the bed of the rock bluff which is at about low water mark. This bridge is approached from the Iowa side by a high grade of considerable length, while on the Nebraska side it is approached through a deep cut in the bluffs. The bridge is fifty feet above high water mark, thus doing away with the necessity of a draw.
THE NEBRASKA RAILWAY,
Now owned and operated by the Burlington & Missouri River Road, which extends from Nemaha City, in Nemaha County, on the Missouri, to York, in York County, a distance of 136 miles, passing in its course through Brownville, Nebraska City, Syra- cuse, Palmyra, Bennett, Lincoln and Seward, was organized in 1871, under the title of the Midland Pacific Railroad. The line was built from Nebraska City, to Lincoln, a distance of fifty-eight miles, in 1871, and extended to Seward, eighty-three miles from Nebraska City, in 1874. It was the intention of the original Company to build the line to Fort Kearney, or to some point further east on the Union Pacific road. A branch line was also projected from the main line, at some point in Otoe County, to Fort Riley in Kansas. The line was, however, sold under foreclosure, and a company re-organized under the title of the Nebraska Railway, and was operated as such until it passed
129
JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
into the hands of the B. & M. Company, in 1876, who extended the line west from Seward to York, its present terminus, and from Nebraska City to Nemaha City, its present southeastern terminus. This line passes through the rich farming Counties of Nemaha, Otoe, Lancaster, Seward and York, connecting at Brownville, on the Missouri River, with the Kansas City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs road, and at Lincoln with the entire system of railways radiating from that center.
The original Company were the recipients of a land grant to aid in the construction of their line from Nebraska City to Seward, of 10,184,448 acres By an Act of the State Legislature, approved February 22d, 1875, the Company were also granted a certain amount of Saline lands, but as it did not comply with the conditions of the grant, such lands reverted back to the State.
THE OMAHA & SOUTHWESTERN RAILWAY,
Operated since 1872 under a perpetual lease by the Burlington and Missouri River Road, was built from Omaha to Lincoln, a distance of sixty-eight miles, by rail, in 1869, and was the second railway projected in the State. Among the original stock-holders were S. S. Caldwell, President; John Y. Clopper, Clinton Briggs, Henry Gray, Frank Murphy, A. S. Paddock, and Frank Smith.
This branch of the B. &. M in connection with the Atchison & Nebraska, and the Missouri and Pacific, forms a through line from Omaha to St. Louis, on the west side of the Missouri River.
THE OMAIIA & NORTIIERN NEBRASKA RAILWAY,
Formerly The Omaha & Northwestern was commenced in 1869, and completed to Herman, a distance of forty miles, in 1871. In 1876 it was extended to Tekamah, the County Seat of Burt County, a distance of fifty-two miles, from Omaha. This line traverses the eastern portions of Douglas, Washington and Burt Counties, and is a most important outlet for the produce of the highly cultivated and prosperous country through which it runs. It is being extended during the present year to Oakland, in the famous Logan Valley, a flourishing little town, situated near the west line of Burt County, about sixteen miles from Tekamah.
This line will in all probability be extended north and west through the rapidly developing Counties of Cuming, Black Bird, 9
130
JOHNSON'S IIISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
Wayne, Pierce, and Knox to Niobrara, a thriving little eity situ- ated at the junction of the Niobrara and Missouri Rivers. At Blair, the County Seat of Washington County, the O. & N. W. crosses the Sioux City and Pacific road, whieli connection furnishes an outlet both east and west for passengers and freight, while at Omaha it connects with the railway system of Nebraska. The road is of great value to the country through which it passes, and when pushed forward to a river terminal point, opening up the fertile Logan Valley and the country further north, it must become both a profitable and an important line.
Among the original stock-holders and projectors of the O. & N. W. road, was James. E. Boyd, its first President; William A. Paxton, John A. Morrow, John I. Redick, Herman Kountze, Edward Creighton, Jonas Gise, John A. Horbach, C. H. Downs, Frank Smith, G. M. Mills, and Joseph and Ezra Millard.
THE SIOUX CITY & PACIFIC,
In connection with the Union Pacific, and the Chicago & North- western roads, forms a direct and short transportation route from Fremont, Neb., to Chicago; also in connection with the Iowa Division of the Illinois Central, Sioux City & St. Paul lines, it affords a direct route to St. Paul, Duluth and Milwaukee. The Sioux City & Pacific road runs from Sioux City along the east bank of the Missouri River to a point about two miles west of Mis- souri Valley Junction, Iowa, where it connects with the Chicago & Northwestern, over which Council Bluffs and the entire system of railways radiating from that point and Omaha are reached. Leaving the C. & N. W. road it bends to the west, crossing the Missouri River by a steam ferry, about three miles east of the city of Blair, where it crosses the Omaha & North- western road. From Blair it bends a little to the southwest until Fremont, a thriving little city situated on the east bank of the Platte River, on the Union Pacific, is reached. There, connections are made with the Elkhorn Valley road, which runs up the Elkhorn Valley to Stanton, the County Seat of Stanton County.
From Fremont to points east and north, the Sioux City & Pacific has the advantage of being the quickest and most direct route, and to St. Paul and other northern points, it is the most popular route.
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JOHNSON'S HISTORY OF NEBRASKA.
THE FREMONT, ELKHORN & MISSOURI VALLEY ROAD,
Operated by the Sioux City & Pacific, extends from Fremont on the Union Pacific, to Stanton, the County Seat of Stanton County, which latter point it reached in 1879. The first ten miles of the road was completed by December 31st, 1869.
This line follows the Elkhorn Valley northward, through one of the loveliest, richest and fast-settling regions of the State, and has a profitable and rapidly increasing traffic.
There are several prosperous and growing towns along the line, the principal of which are Fremont, West Point, Scribner, Hooper and Stanton. The extension of this road through Madi- son and Antelope Counties is now progressing.
THE ATCIIISON & NEBRASKA RAILWAY
Is a link of the important transportation route from Omaha to St. Lonis, via Lincoln. One hundred and ten miles of its line is in Nebraska, passing in a sontheasterly direction from Lincoln, through the rich grain growing Counties of Lancaster, Gage, John- son, Pawnee and Richardson. The extension of the Atchison & Nebraska road from Lincoln to Columbus, where a junction is formed with the Union Pacific, was commenced in 1879. As a transportation route for produce to St. Louis, this line has advan- tages that no amount of competition can wrest from it. This com- pany was organized in 1870, and the line completed from Atchison to Lincoln, a distance of 148 miles, in 1872. The equipment of the road includes ten locomotives, six passenger cars, three mail and express cars, ninety-five box cars, fifty-five flat, sixteen stock, and fifty-five combination cars.
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